Free Fallout 3 on Xbox One Requires Fallout 4 Pre-Order

Anyone wishing to net themselves a free copy of Fallout 3 on Xbox One will need to pre-order Fallout 4, it's been revealed.

During this year's E3, Bethesda's Todd Howard announced copies of Fallout 4 on Xbox One will include Fallout 3, but it seems that wasn't the full story. A post on the Bethesda Blog confirms you'll need to pre-order the upcoming apocalyptic release to take advantage of the offer.

Exit Theatre Mode

"We're excited to announce - for a limited time - your pre-order of Fallout 4 for Xbox One will entitle you to receive Fallout 3 on Xbox 360," it reads. "The code for Fallout 3 will be delivered to your Xbox message center in 7-10 days. Redeem your code on Xbox.com or on your Xbox 360."

Currently the offer is only available on the Xbox Store pre-order page, leaving it unclear if this opportunity will also be extended to retailers; certainly, there's no mention of it on Amazon. Unfortunately, this means if you're keen on getting hold of Fallout 3 for free you're going to have to pay the full digital price for the game, which is $59.99 / £59.99.

While still a good offer, you'll need to wait for Xbox One backwards compatibility to launch on Xbox One before you can play the game on the new console. Currently you'll have to make do with playing on 360. It also begs the question why you wouldn't just pre-order Fallout 4 at another retailer for less, then pick up Fallout 3 second-hand somewhere else. Such a move would almost certainly work out cheaper.